Bag holder



Dec. 22, 1942. GlNTER I 2,305,863

BAG HOLDER Filed Feb. 12, 1942 Maw 21 20 z] 22 f 24 Q 25 )24 nz'l Patented Dec. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES AT-EN'E' FFICE BAG HOLDER John M. Ginter, Wooster, Ohio Application February 12, 1942, Serial No. 430,628

2 Claims.

The invention relates generally to devices for holding bags .in material-receiving position, and more particularly to a bag holder for supporting a bag and holding its mouth in wide open position, so that fertilizer, feed, grain, sand, potatoes, or other similar products may easily be shoveled or otherwise loaded into the bag.

In filling bags with various materials, the operation offers little difficulty if two persons participate, one holding the bag open While the other fills it. However, more often than not only one person is available to perform the operation, and it is very diflicult for one person to hold a bag open while at the same time shoveling or loading material into it. The result is that the bag is frequently hung on a nail or some such hastily improvised support which does not hold the bag mouth open properly and causes tearing of the bag and often spilling of the material.

There have been prior attempts to provide bag holders, but as far as I am aware, these holders I have been unsatisfactory either from the standpoint of inefficiency or because they are too complicated or too expensive, or both.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved bag holder which overcomes the difficulties of prior bag holders.

Another and more specific object is to provide a novel bag holder adapted for fitting bags of various sizes.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved bag holder adapted to be hung from any one of a variety of common supports, so that the bag can be supported quickly in filling position without having to construct or provide a special support for the holder.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved holder adapted for quick attachment to and detachment from the mouth of a bag, without requiring tools of any kind.

A still further object is to provide a novel bag holder which affords a reinforced rigid shield for deflecting and guiding material into the bag.

And finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive bag holder which accomplishes all of the foregoing objectives, and which is extremely easy to attach and use.

These and other objects are accomplished by the improved parts, constructions and arrangements comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter described in detail and defined in the appended claims.

In general terms the invention may be defined as including a U-shaped sheet metal shield having tapering sides and provided with prongs spaced along its lower edge for holding the mouth of the bag in open position, said shield having at its top portion a hook and a plurality of clips for hanging the shield from any one of a variety of different kinds of supports,

Referring to the drawing forming part hereof,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the improved bag holder supporting a bag in open position, said holder being hung from an ordinary beam or bar;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached perspective view of the improved bag holder;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on. the plane of lines 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. is a fragmentary front view of the holder showing the clips swung to permit hanging the holder by the hook;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 5--5, Fig, 4, showing a preferred manner of attaching the hook and clips to the shield; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of one corner of the holder near its lower edge, as on line 6-6, Fig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The improved bag holder preferably includes a sheet metal shield indicated generally at Ill which is substantially U-shaped having a flat back wall I I, and side walls or legs I2 connected to the back wall by curved portions l3 and extending from the back wall at substantially right angles thereto.

The bottom edge of the back and side walls I l and I2 is preferably provided with a rolled or turned over bead portion indicated at I4 which surrounds a rod or wire [5 to provide a stiffening or reinforcing construction for the sheet metal shield Ill. The ends of the wire project from the bead M at the ends of the side walls 12 and are sharpened or pointed to form prongs IS.

The upper edge of the back wall I l is provided with a rearwardly extending folded angular flange I! which reinforces the top portion of said wall, and the top edges of the curved portions l3 and side walls l2 are preferably folded over as shown to form a reinforcing folded portion [8.

As shown, the curved portion l3 and side walls 12 preferablyhave their top edges inclined or tapered downwardly, terminating at points l9 spaced a short distance above the prongs [5. The

vertical front edge portions of the side walls l2 between the prongs l6 and the points I9 constitute shoulders |9a for a purpose hereafter to be described.

At the laterally central portion of the back wall near the top thereof, a hook 20 is attached thereto for hanging the improved bag holder from a nail or the like which may be driven into a wall or other support. A pair of inverted U-shaped clips 2| are also attached to the top of the back wall at opposite sides thereof for hanging the bag holder from a laterally extending support such as the beam or cross bar 22 shown in Fig. 1. These clips 2| each include a vertical portion 23 pivotally attached to the back wall I l, a horizontal portion 24 extending at right angles thereto, and a downwardly extending portion 25 depending therefrom. When the clips are engaged over a lateral support as shown in Fig. 1 they are positioned substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and when the holder is hung from a supporting nail or the like by means of the hook 20, the clips 2! are swung 90 out of the way, as shown in Fig. 4.

The hook 20 and clips 2| are all preferably attached to the back wall I l in the same manner, as shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. The vertical portion 20a of the hook is swiveled in a U-shaped bracket plate 26, the ends of which are inserted through slots 21 in the back wall I l, and the ends are then bent at right angles and embossed or pressed into the back wall as shown at 28. The bottom ends of the hook portion 20a and of the portions 23 of the clips are provided with enlarged heads 29 to prevent them from pulling out of the U-shaped bracket plates 26, and the portions 20a of the hook and 23a of the clips extend upwardly through the folded flange l1.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the curved portions l3 are provided at or near the bead M with outwardly projecting pointed studs or prongs 30 for puncturing and engaging the fabric around the mouth of a bag.

In using the improved bag holder, the holder is first hung on a convenient support which may be a nail or staple engaged by the hook 20, or may be a beam or a cross bar on a two-wheeled truck engaged by the clips 2|. The combination of the swiveled hook and clips 29 and 2| provides for quickly hanging the improved holder from any one of a great variety of common supporting means available in a warehouse or stock room where the bag holder is most frequently used.

After the holder has been thus hung in a convenient place, the open end or mouth 3| of a burlap or fabric bag 32 is attached to the lower edge of the holder by pulling the mouth of the bag up over the same and forcing the prongs I6 and pointed studs 30 through the fabric. If the bag opening is larger than the periphery of the holder, the excess of the bag can be folded or lapped at one end of the holder, and in either case the mouth of the bag is'held open by the U-shaped lower edge of the holder, as shown in Fig. 1. In this position the holder provides a rigid shield for guiding and deflecting into the bag material which is shoveled or tossed against the inside of the shield.

When the bag is thus engaged over the prongs l6 and 30, the shoulders Ilia prevent the mouth of the bag from sliding up over the inclined top edges of the side walls l2 and tearing the fabric v of the bag, which would also restrict the size of the bag opening.

Accordingly, the improved bag holder provides a simple and inexpensive construction which is quickly attached to or detached from bags of various sizes without requiring tools of any kind, and which is adapted to be quickly hung or supported from any one of a variety of available supporting means, for supporting a bag in open position and for guiding and deflecting material being loaded into the bag.

I claim:

1. A bag holder including a substantially U- shaped shield having an upwardly projecting flat back wall and forwardly extending side walls, the top edges of said side walls tapering downwardly from said back wall to the front ends of said side walls, pointed prongs projecting outwardly from the lower edge portions of said side wall front ends and at the junctures between the side walls and the back wall thereof, and spaced angle clips swiveled to the upper edge portion'of said back wall and normally extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom.

2. A bag holder including a substantially U- shaped shield having an upwardly projecting flat back wall and forwardly extending side walls, the top edges of said side walls tapering downwardly from said back wall to the front ends of said side walls, pointed prongs projecting outwardly from the lower edge portions of said side wall front ends and at the junctures between the side walls and the back wall thereof, and means mounted on the back wall for hanging said holder from a support, said means including a hook attached to the central portion of said back wall and inverted U-shaped clips swiveled on said back wall at opposite sides of said hook.

7 JOHN M. GINTER. 

